Quad ministers announce new Indo-Pacific initiatives on maritime security and energy

NEW DELHI (AP) — The foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the United States announced new initiatives Tuesday on maritime security, port infrastructure and energy, as the group known as the Quad seeks to deepen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific over concerns about China’s growing influence in the region.

The announcements came after talks in New Delhi between India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Speaking after the meeting, Rubio announced a new Indo-Pacific maritime surveillance initiative to integrate the four countries’ surveillance capabilities and strengthen real-time information sharing across the region. Rubio also said the Quad would work with Fiji to upgrade port infrastructure in the Pacific islands, marking its first joint regional infrastructure project.

The ministers also launched an Indo-Pacific energy security initiative aimed at strengthening regional fuel and energy supply chains, with the U.S. set to host a Quad fuel security forum later this year, Rubio said.

“We are deeply committed to this partnership. It is a linchpin in a cornerstone of our global strategy as a nation,” he said.

Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. make up the Quad group, a key strategic partnership for cooperation on maritime security, supply chains and regional strategy as China expands its military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific.

The Quad has repeatedly accused China of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims. Beijing maintains that its military is purely defensive to protect what it says are China’s sovereign rights and calls the Quad an attempt to contain its economic growth and influence.

The meeting comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump visited China, a trip closely watched in New Delhi for signs of any shift in Washington’s approach toward Beijing.

Ahead of Tuesday's talks, Rubio said that Washington wants the Quad to move beyond being a dialogue platform and take more concrete action on issues including maritime security and critical minerals. He also said officials were working toward a summit of the four leaders later this year, although no date has been announced.

The four countries had hoped to hold a leaders’ summit in India last year, but the plan was delayed because of strains in U.S.-India relations, including disagreements over tariffs.

Jaishankar described the talks as “an exercise of considerable value,” saying the ministers also discussed maritime trade, energy and fertilizer supplies, as well as critical minerals. He added that as economic activity, energy, trade and maritime commerce in the region grow, “the responsibilities of the Quad will grow commensurately, and we must prepare for that.”

The leaders also discussed the Iran war and halted energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Australia's Wong said the Indo-Pacific was facing “acute economic stress” and warned that any closure of the strait would have serious consequences for regional energy security.

“We recognize the importance of maintaining the principle of freedom of navigation and our opposition to any tolling proposition,” Wong said, referring to Iran’s plan to charge vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

She said the Quad reflects a shared commitment among four sovereign nations to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“There is great alignment between our interests. We all share a vision for the Indo-Pacific, a region that is free and open,” she said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi speaks to reporters following a Quad ministerial meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

India's Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, right, listens to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the Quad ministerial meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, May 26, 2026 (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaks to reporters following a Quad ministerial meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters following a Quad ministerial meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, May 26, 2026.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, second left, speaks as Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, left, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, second right, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio listen following a Quad ministerial meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

MONTREAL (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov scored at 14:06 of overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Final.

Shayne Gostisbehere and Taylor Hall scored in regulation for Carolina. Frederik Andersen made 11 saves.

“You’re seeing that the rust is off,” said Hall, whose team had 11 days off following the second round of the playoffs. “We’re feeling good about playing hockey again.”

Mike Matheson and Lane Hutson scored for Montreal, which got 35 stops from Jakub Dobes.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday at the Bell Centre.

After a back-and-forth overtime, Hutson turned the puck over in the neutral zone. Montreal had time to recover, but Svechnikov took a pass from Seth Jarvis up high and fired a shot through traffic for the winning goal.

“Can’t get it back,” Hutson said. “I thought we played a pretty good game. I feel like that stuff can happen and usually you can get through the shift. Unfortunately, we didn’t.”

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis thought his team could have handled the sequence better in its own zone.

“I didn’t love the play, but whatever,” he said. “It’s what’s next, and we didn’t do what’s next. We didn’t get the job done.”

After earning a 3-2 overtime victory at home Saturday that looked a lot more like their relentless style following a discombobulated 6-2 loss in Thursday’s opener, the Hurricanes came out flying and took the lead at 8:24 of the first period when the puck popped into the slot for Gostisbehere to fire in off the left post past a diving Dobes.

“He’s competing back there every night and giving us a chance,” Montreal forward Cole Caufield said.

The Canadiens, who topped the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in a pair of seven-game matchups to make the conference finals despite a combined 2-4 record at home, tied it at 15:28.

Carolina, the East’s top seed coming off sweeps of the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, pushed back less than a minute later when Hall shoveled home his own rebound from in tight past Dobes as the winger was falling to the ice at 16:22.

Montreal, which registered just 12 shots on goal in Game 2, evened things up on a power play at 4:43 of the second period.

“Be nice to be up 2-1, but we’re not because of me,” Hutson said. “It’s frustrating."

Hutson, who became the fourth defenseman in franchise history with at least 15 points in a single postseason, has been a focus for the Hurricanes on the physical side through three games.

“Probably their most important player and if he has the puck, I’m going to try and make some contact and prevent him from getting up the ice,” Hall said.

The Canadiens lost two in a row for the first time in these playoffs. They now have to quickly turn the page.

“This whole experience, it’s part of our learning,” St. Louis said of his young group going up against the battle-tested Hurricanes. “There’s always learning and failure. We lost tonight. We’ll learn from it. That team over there is a good team, very mature. I don’t know if we can match their maturity.

“But we’re gonna have to elevate.”

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Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov (37) celebrates with teammates Jaccob Slavin (74), Jalen Chatfield (5) and Jordan Martinook (48) after his goal during overtime of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal, Monday, May 25, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP) CORRECTION: Corrected the goal scorer to Andrei Svechnikov

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) stops Montreal Canadiens' Jayden Struble (47) as Hurricanes' Alexander Nikishin (21) defends during the second period of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Monday, May 25, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes smothers the puck just outside the net following a shot by Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho during the third period of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Montreal, Monday, May 25, 2026. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal Canadiens' Lane Hutson (48) celebrates after his goal with teammates Nick Suzuki (14), Juraj Slafkovsky (20) and Ivan Demidov (93) during the second period of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Montreal, Monday, May 25, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (4) celebrates after his goal with teammates Mark Jankowski (77) and Eric Robinson (50) during the first period of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal, Monday, May 25, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov (37) celebrates with teammates Jaccob Slavin (74), Jalen Chatfield (5) and Jordan Martinook (48) after a goal by teammate Sebastian Aho (not shown) during overtime of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal, Monday, May 25, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)